Rust and Bone

Homeless Ali finds shelter at his sister’s house with his 5-year-old son. He soon meets killer whale trainer Stephanie, who has lost both her legs in a tragic accident. Together they will learn how to stand on their own two feet, one day at a time.

After tour de force “A Prophet”, Jacques Audiard takes a crack at melodrama with a classic love story. Homeless Ali finds shelter at his sister’s house with his 5-year-old son. He soon meets killer whale trainer Stephanie, who has lost both her legs in a tragic accident. Together they will learn how to stand on their own two feet, one day at a time. Audiard’s virtuosité fills every frame, prising brilliant performances out of each and every member of the cast. But most of all, he teaches his characters what it feels like to live with phantom limbs, blood-ridden faces and a tremendous sense of loss that might never go away. Ph.V.